Paolo Banchero Drops 23 Points in Magic’s 98-74 Loss to Knicks

Paolo Banchero recorded his sixth consecutive 20+ point game, yet his scoring brilliance went down the drain as the Orlando Magic fell to the New York Knicks, 98-74, on Friday at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Banchero, the reigning Rookie of the Year and All-Star, dropped 23 points on 9-f0r-20 clip with 9 rebounds and 4 blocks. Unfortunately, he was one of only three Magic players who scored double figures as Orlando shot 34.2 percent from the field and 23 percent from beyond the arc.

The Magic also had no answers in containing All-Star guard Jalen Brunson, who finished with a game-high 26 points on 11-for-19 shooting. He also got solid contributions from Josh Hart (19 points), Precious Achiuwa (15 points), and Miles McBride (14 points).

The Knicks came out of the gates aggressively as they stormed to a 31-23 lead at the end of the first. They further built that lead in the second frame behind the hot shooting hands of Achiuwa and Brunson.

The Magic never got a chance to recover from a 16-point halftime deficit as the Knicks continued to fire from all cylinders on their way to a commanding 26-point lead at the end of the third quarter. Although Orlando outscored the Knicks 20-18 in the fourth quarter, New York’s lead built in the first three quarters was just too much to overcome.

The loss at MSG ended the Magic’s five-game winning streak. They are still the top team in Southeast Division with a 37-27 record. The Knicks, on the other hand, improved to 37-26, good for second in the Atlantic Division.